Headset



Feb. 28, 1950 c. D. MULLIN 2,498,960

HEADSET Filed Sept. 15, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor.- Clo ton DMULlin.

5W MW- L C. D. MULLIN Feb. 28, 1950 HEADSET 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 A 8 U W n WD m a m C 1 1. 328 .1 54 F m w 2 3 5 smaw4 Afton 169s.

Feb. 28, 1950 c. D. MULLIN 2,498,960

HEADSET Filed Sept. 15, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inveritor: Clcu ion 13. Muum,

B Is 5 AQ torneljs.

Patented Feb. 28 1950 HEADSET Clayton D. Mullin,

St. Paul, Minn, assignor to Telex Inc., St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application September 15, 1945, Serial No. 616,609

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to head sets and more particularly to sound reproducer head sets of the type that may conveniently be used for communicating sound waves through the head set directly to the users ears.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved head set which may be used in place of ordinary mechanical apparatus for dictaphones, physicians stethoscopic apparatus, diagnostic apparatus and for telegraph and telephone operators where it is desire-d that the message be communicated to the operators ears without producing sound waves generally in the space where the operator is utilizing the device. It is a further object of the invention to provide a neat, light-weight head set utilizing a midget receiver of the type customarily used in hearing aid devices. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved light-weight head set of plastic construction and formed so that it may be adjusted to various head widths. It is also an object of the invention to provide a head set wherein the sound reproducer apparatus is contained as a part of the hinge joint of the head set.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent in the apparatus herein illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view, of the complete head set;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the complete head set adjusted to its narrowest position;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the head set shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of an alternative ear tip construction;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the hinge joint;

Figure 6 is a plan view of one portion of the hinge joint in the direction of arrow B-6 of Figure '7;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the portion of the hinge joint shown in Figure 6 taken along the line !--1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the portion of hinge joint shown in Figures 6 and '7 taken along the lines 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a top elevational view, partly in section, of the other part of the hinge joint, the sectional portion being taken along the lines 99 of Figure 10;

Figure 10 is a front elevational view, partly in partly in section,

section, of the portion of the hinge shown in Figure 9. The sectioned part of Figure 10 is taken along the lines l0-lfi of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a sectional View of the assembled hinge joint taken along the lines H-ll of Figure 5;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of arrows iii-l3 of Figure 14 and showing the hinge joint in the position of Figure 2, i. c. with the head set adjusted so as to bring the ear tips closest together;

Figure 13 is a sectional view correspondin to Figure 12 taken along the lines I2!3 of Figure 14, but showing the hinge rotated so as to move the ear tips to their limiting open. condition;

Figure 14 is a sectional view taken along the lines i tl4 of Figure 13; and

Figure 15 is a top view of the plate 50.

Throughout the drawings corresponding numerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, the assembled head set comprises a hinge joint generally designated 20 having two hinge parts generally designated 2| and 22 to which there are attached a pair of tubular members 23 and 24 that are curved as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and inturned at their upper ends. On the inturned upper ends of the tubular members 23 and 24 there are tubular ear tips 25 and 26 which may be shaped as shown in Figures 1-3 or as shown at 27 in Figure 4 wherein the ear tip has a somewhat flanged shape at 28 and is provided with one or more nonconcentric sound conducting orifices 29.

The hinge 2B is constructed so as not only to serve as the hinge joint but also to contain the sound reproducer element. Hinge 20 is composed of two main elements 2! and 22. One of the elements 2| is best shown in Figures 9 and 10, and consists of a cup-shaped recess 39 which is generally of cylindrical shape and has a closed bottom 31 and a flange at 32 terminating in a threaded opening at 33. The cylindrical member 30 has an upwardly extendin side wall 35 around a part of its periphery as shown in Figure 10, where the side wall 35 terminates at 3B and 37. The side wall 35 has attached to it a tubular side arm 38 which extends in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical cup 30. The tubular side arm 38 is tapered on the outside and is provided with a socket 39 which receives the tube 23, the latter being cemented or otherwise fastened in place. The member 23 extends to a point near the bottom internal flange 40 which is apertured at 4| and communicates with an arcuate channel 42 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The cylindrical recess 30 is of a shape so as neatly to receive an electromagnetic sound reproducer or receiver, which is preferably of the type ordinarily used in hearing aid sets. Such receivers are of very small size, being less than inch in diameter and less than inch thick. The receiver which is shown at 34 in Figures 11 and 14 has a cylindrical body and is provided with a flange at 45 which seats in the recess 32. The diaphragm of the receiver is slightly below the level 48 which is the upper edge of the flange 45. The diaphragm 43 is indicated in'section in Figure 11. The receiver is held in place by a plate generally designated 50 which is threaded on the edge So as to screw into thethreads 33 of the hinge member. The plate 563 is turned out at its center part over the diaphragm and the edge is provided with two or more apertures 52 by means ofwhich aspanner wrench may be inserted and the plate screwedfirmly into place.

t is to be understood that the plate is of a thickness so as to bear down'upon the upper edge 46 i of the receiver flange 45 and that there is accordingly a slight. clearance space below the plate to the diaphragm .48, thereby permitting sound waves to emanate. completely in all directions between the plate 5t. and the diaphragm. The

apertures 52+52 serve not only as wrench sockets but also permit the sound waves emanating from the diaphragm to .pass upwardly inv the direction of arrows. 54 into channel Bl through which the sound is conducted to thetubes 23 and 2G and to car tips 25 and 26 as hereinafter explained. At the center of the plate there is. an integral upstanding hinge pin. 56 which is internally threaded at 51 to receive the hinge retaining screw 58, the latter being seated upon a spring washer 59.

The. spring washer 59 holds in place the second main half of the hinge structure, this being shown best in Figures 6, 7 and 8. This portion ofthe hinge has a cover part 53'. which has a recess 64 in its outer side to receive the'screw 53 and spring Washer 59 as shown in Figures 11 and. 14. The central aperture 65 of the cover 63 is of a size to fit neatly upon the hinge pin portion 56, and the surface 66 fits directly upon the upper surface.

of the cover .plate 58. concentrically around the aperture 65 there is an annular opening or groove 67 which is provided with two radialapertures E8 and 69 as shown in Figure 6.'The aperture 69 communicates through the wall portion l0 and to a tubular extending arm H which, like arm 38 of the cooperating'hinge portion, serves to receive the ear tube as shown in Figures and (i. The diameter of the annular recess. 6? issuch that it overlies the two apertures 52 52 in the retaining plate til. Hence, any sound from the diaphragm 48 which passes through the apertures. 52-52. enters the annular recess 61 and .1 thence part of it passes out through the opening 69 into the tubular arm H and thence into the.

tubular extension 24. The aperture 68, Figure 6, is located so that it will always be within the range ofmovement of thearcuate slot 42 of the opposite hinge. piece, Figures 5,.10,.12 and 13. Thus, it will beseen that when-the hinge is moved tion shown in Figure 12 in'.which position the.

ear tips are closest together or is moved to the position shown in Figure 13 in which the car tips are farthest apart. Aperture 68 is always in communication with slot 62. Thus, sound waves in the annular channel 61 are freely permitted to pass through the opening 58 and thence through the arcuate channel t2, channel ll and intothe tubular arm 38 and thence to the tubular extension 23.

The limits of the hinging motion are determined by the arcuate length of the side wall it of the hinge member shown in Figure 6 and the arcuate length of the side wall 35 of the hinge member shown in-.Figurc 10. Thus, when part 73 of wall ll) is brought into engagement with the part 371 of wall 35, the hinge is stopped at its most narrow condition. Likewise, when the portion 'M'is brought into engagement with the por- -tion 36, the hinging motion is stopped at the widest position of movement. In every condition, however, sound may pass freely from the diaphragm, thence throughopening 52 into the annular. channel 61 and thence out through the openings 68 and E9 and thence into the tubular arms 33 and M, respectively, and through the tubular extensions 23 and 2t tothe ear-.tips 25 and 2,6.

.The spring washer 59 is of a shape such as to apply just sufficient tension to holdv the. hinge joint snugly against accidental displacement.

' The washer is preferably dished slightly and may,

if desired,.have. radial. cuts inward around its periphery to increase its resilience? The hinge .can be moved freely to any position so as to facilitateadjustment by the operator, and in any position the adjustment isheld by friction due to the spring pressure of washer 59. "Thereceiver M is provided with a.connector block. 15 which. terminates inthe cord '86. The connector block is inserted through an opening lfi in the. side wall of the cylindrical chamber 38 inthe hinge member. While metals may be used in constructing the head set, it is preferred tomake the entire apparatus of molded plastic. Thus, the two hinge members 2! and ZZmay easily and conveniently be produced from molding plastic such as the phenolic resins, urea formaldehyde resins, the vinyl resins, methyl methacrylateresins and, any other suitable types of molding resins. Likewise the tubular extension 23and 24 andthe car tips 25 and 26 may be made of plastic;

In this way an artistic as .well as light-weight devicecan easily be produced andthe entire .weight of the apparatus reduced so that the operator ishardly aware that. the, devicev is in place during operation.

The length and shape of thetubular extension .23-..and' 2d issuch as to bring the. hinge 28 in a position slightlybelow. theoperators .chin when the device is. worn in. service.

As many apparentlyawidelyr different embodi- ..ments, ofthisinvention may be made without ,departingfromthe. spirit .andscope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specificlembodiments .herein. except as defined by the appended. claims.

What I claim is:

1.v A headset comprising atwo part hinge, one cfsaidparts having a recessportion with an open face and anintegrally formed tubular arm ex- .-.;tending outwardly therefrom, saidrecess portion .beingadapted to receive-a telephone receiver of the hearingaid type, a. second .matching hinge part having a cover portion fitted to overlay said open-face of. the recess.-portion and an integrally formed tubular arm extending outwardly therefrom, said tubular arms being approximately in the same plane, a hinge pivot means connecting the recess portion at its open face and the cover portion, said cover portion, hinge pivot means and recess portion being apertured so as to provide an uninterrupted sound passageway from the recess to each of the tubular arms, a pair of tubes mounted as tubular extensions of the tubular arms, said tubes being shaped to extend around a users face and extend into the users ears, and a telephone receiver of the hearing aid type mounted in the recess whereby sound waves from said telephone receiver pass through said uninterrupted sound passageway.

2. A head set of the type set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that the hinge pivot means includes a plate detachably secured so as to fill the open face of said recess, said plate being provided with an extending pivot which passes through and is attached to the cover portion of the matching hinge part.

3. A head set comprising a hearing aid type receiver of cylindrical shape, a hinge having a tubular arm terminating in a cup shaped recess shaped to contain said receiver, a plate detachably secured to cover said cup shaped recess for retaining the receiver therein, said plate being provided with a hinge pin extending outwardly therefrom, a cover for said plate pivotally secured to the hinge pin, said cover having a tubular arm extending therefrom, said plate and cover being apertured so as to form a sound conducting channel from the receiver to a hole in each tubular arm, a tubular extension attached to each tubular arm, said extensions being curved towards each other and abruptly inturned and fitted with car tips for engagement in the wearers ears.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that the arms are shaped so as to allow limited angular movement with respect to each other around said hinge pin as an axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized in that the apertures in the plate fit in spaced relation to the receiver when in place on the cup-shaped recess and is apertured so as to allow sound waves from the receiver to pass through said plate and the cover has a cooperating annular channel apertured radially to communicate with said tubular arms.

6. A head set comprising a two-part hinge, a first hinge part having a recess portion adapted to receive a telephone receiver of the hearing aid type, a cover plate for said recess portion, the cover plate having means for retaining the receiver in the recess portion, said cover plate being undercut centrally so as to provide a clearance space over the diaphragm of said receiver, apertures through said cover plate communicating with the clearance space, a hinge pivot extending upwardly from the upper face of the cover plate, a second hinge part having a cover portion adapted to cover said recess portion and said cover plate, said second hinge part having an opening therein surrounding said hinge pivot, fastening means for retaining said second hinge part on said hinge pivot, a lateral aperture in each of said hinge parts communicating with the space above the cover plate, a tubular extension extending from each of said lateral apertures, said extensions being shaped to extend around a users face and into a users ears.

7. A head set comprising a two-part hinge, a first hinge part having a generally cylindrical recess therein, a telephone receiver of the hearing aid type in said recess, said first hinge part having a shoulder on the internal wall adapted to support the upper edge of said telephone receiver, a cover plate for said recess, said cover plate bearing on the upper edge of said telephone receiver rigidly to retain the receiver on said shoulder, said cover plate being undercut centrally so as not to contact said receiver except at the periphery thereof and to provide a clearance space above said receiver, apertures in said cover plate communicating with said clearance space, a generally cylindrical hinge pivot extending upwardly from the top of the cover plate, a second hinge part adapted to overlie the first hinge part and said cover plate, said second hinge part having an aperture surrounding said hinge pivot, fastening means for retaining said second hinge part on said hinge pivot, an annular recess in the lower face of the second hinge part, said annular recess overlying the apertures in the cover plate and communicating therewith, a pair of lateral recesses communicating with the annular recess and extending through the sides of the second hinge part, one of said lateral recesses communicating with an ear tube extending from said second hinge part, the first hinge part having an upstanding portion having an arcuate face, and lying adjacent a portion of the second hinge part, said arcuate face having an arcuate recess therealong and an aperture communicating with said arcuate recess and with a second ear tube, said arcuate recess communicating with the other of said lateral recesses, said two hinge parts being pivotable about said hinge pivot, and stop means on said hinge parts to limit the pivotal movement such that said other lateral recess is containtly in communication with said arcuate recess.

8. A head set comprising a hinge having two portions each having a tubular side protuberance and an integral overlap hinge part, the latter being reduced in thickness to approximately onehalf the thickness of the side protuberance so that When the integral overlap hinge parts are placed in overlapping relation, the total thickness of the hinge so formed is not substantially more than the thickness of the side protuberances, said side protuberances being in approximately the same plane, a hinge pin extending through the hinge parts so as to hold them together for limited hinge motion, one of said hinge portions being formed with a protuberance forming an antrum, a receiver mounted within said antrum in and substantially concentric therewith and tubes extending from each of said tubular side protuberances and terminating in ear tips, the hinge parts being channeled for conveying sound waves from the antrum in which the receiver is mounted and thence through both tubular side protuberances and thence through the tubes to the ear tips.

9. A head set of the character set forth in claim 8 wherein the hinge is of molded plastic.

10. A very light weight head set comprising a hinge having two tubular protuberances con nected with extending tubes that terminate in ear tips, said tubular protuberances being in the same plane and hinged by each having an integral hinge part offset sufficiently so that when the segments of the two hinge parts are brought into overlapping relation their combined thickness is not substantially more than the thickness of the protuberances, one of said hinge parts having an integrally formed small antrum extending slightly beyond the combined thickness of said hinge parts, a hinge pin connecting the hinge parts and asoundreproducer of the hearing aid type, having a diameter not substantially exceeding that of the overlapped integral hinge parts mounted in said antrum concentrically therewith,

\ said hinge-parts being channeled so. as to provide sound passages extending from the sound reproducer through. the tubular? protuberancesand extending'tubes to the ear tips.

11'. .As an 'articleof manufacture, a very'light weight headset comprising twomoldedflplastic parts shaped to form a hinge, one of said .parts having a smalliantrum concentricvwiththeohinging axis,. said antrumvterminating as a. circular opening concentriovvith saidaxis ofhinging, said part also having a tubular'side arm extending diaphragmso as to hold the sound reproducer in .place, said plate having, a central pivot. and holes ,throughsaidplate offset from the pivot, the other hinge part having ,a disk-likeportion overlying the Plate and'having an openingthroughwhich said pivot'extends, means, for fastening said. disk portion to the pivot, and a sidearrn likewise extending "from" said disk-like portion at a level such thatwhen the, parts are-assembled theside 'h'armsof both'hinge portions will be insubstan- .tiallysthe same plane, the hinge parts being formedwith integral stops for limiting the hinging motion of said parts, said parts being providedwith channels extending from the hold- .downplate. through each side arm, and tubes terminating in;ear tips extending from each side arm.

12. The device described inclaim 11 further characterized in that said channels are formed to include a circular groove in thatpart of thedisklikeportion which overlies the plate, said circu- "f LN umber Hlar groove overlying the holes through said plate, said groove having radialv connections extending to each side arm'when the parts areass'embled.

CL'AY'IO-N D'L' MULLIN.

""ZYREFERENGES CITED fl he follosvingireferences are Ofi'IEBCOId, in wthe .file of,v this :patent UNITE-D STATES PATENTS Name Date Williams :Jan.;15.; 1918 Lucarelle :Sept. 9,-1930 Johnson July, 14,1931 Cannon- .-N0v.,-5 ,-194O FOREIGN PATENTS Country .,Date

.France J une- 30, .1924 Great Britain May 21, ,1925

Number 

